Chapter Nine: Purifying Nectar (Part One)

Hu Hai had a dream.

In his dream, he and Shi Jun, each accompanied by their own summoned beasts, ventured into the monster-infested Azure Mountain, partly to rid the people of evil and partly to slay beasts for leveling up. As soon as the two arrived, they unleashed a killing spree, cutting through the monsters like slicing melons and chopping vegetables. The carnage left the ground strewn with corpses, gold, treasures, and weapons dropped by the slain beasts.

Overjoyed, Hu Hai immediately unfurled the large hemp sack he had prepared beforehand, scooping up the loot with feverish delight. He kept collecting until his back ached, his limbs went numb, and exhaustion nearly rendered him immobile. Just as he was about to call Shi Jun to return to town and celebrate with drinks, he suddenly realized Shi Jun had vanished without a trace.

Hu Hai looked around in confusion, loudly calling Shi Jun’s name, only to find himself surrounded by thousands of monsters, their eyes ablaze with fury, all closing in silently...

“Shi Jun, you heartless brat!” Hu Hai shouted, springing upright. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around, slowly coming to his senses after about a minute—the scene before him was nothing like anything he knew.

* * * * * * * *

He seemed to be in an underwater world, though not a drop of water was visible. Everywhere, blue waves shimmered, varying in depth. Overhead, there was none of the sky, sun, or clouds he had known for twenty years. Instead, a dark blue dome, glossy like glazed pottery, stretched above him. Beneath his feet was no familiar pavement or earth, but a carpet of perfectly colored gray sand grains, each the size of a sesame seed. Interspersed among these were countless silver particles of the same size, creating a scene both immaculate and beautiful.

Near and far, countless ivory-colored, bamboo shoot-like plants grew sparsely or densely from the silver-gray “beach,” their tips sharp and straight. Further out, Hu Hai’s vision could not reach—he could see only about ten meters around him. Everything beyond was shrouded by a blue mist, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, obscuring the world.

“What kind of place is this?” Hu Hai muttered, standing up. He felt his body ache from muscles to bones, and drew a sharp breath, moving cautiously. Suddenly, he noticed something tightly wrapped around his hand—Shi Jun’s Netherworld Token!

Of course! Hu Hai slapped his forehead, recalling the terrifying journey he and Shi Jun had just endured. How had the token ended up with him, and where had Shi Jun gone?

Hu Hai shouted Shi Jun’s name at the top of his lungs, but all was silent—no response. Anxiety rising, he staggered off in a random direction.

* * * * * * * *

Barely a few steps in, Hu Hai’s legs buckled and he nearly fell, quickly grabbing a nearby cluster of milky white “bamboo shoots” for support. To the touch, they were cold, slick, and surprisingly elastic.

“Ow, who are you? You’re noisy!” a sharp voice complained, startling Hu Hai. He looked around frantically for the source.

From the tip of the “bamboo shoot” he had touched, a plump, colorful, mushroom-like object suddenly popped out, wobbling atop the shoot. It swayed for a moment, then spoke in that piercing voice, scolding Hu Hai with an old-fashioned air: “I was just about to take a nap, and you start yelling and disturbing my dreams! Are you looking to die?”

Hu Hai stared dumbly at the fat mushroom, wondering if he was still dreaming. He stuck his finger in his mouth and bit down, only to be snapped back to reality by the pain.

“Heavens, what is this? A mushroom growing on a bamboo shoot that can talk?” He tentatively reached out to touch the colorful fungus.

With a sudden hiss, the fat mushroom transformed, revealing two rows of vivid, colored teeth that bit down hard on Hu Hai’s hand, leaving deep marks.

“Ow! Why did you bite me?” Hu Hai cried, tears stinging his eyes as he clutched his throbbing hand.

“You started it!” the fat mushroom retorted, returning to its original form.

“What?” Hu Hai realized he had indeed made the first move. He was at a loss, but refused to yield, muttering, “I just wanted to study you—you look interesting…”

The fat mushroom perked up instantly, shouting, “I look nice? I look nice? Quick, say more nice things about me!”

“Hmph, I won’t!” Hu Hai grumbled, “You bit me for no reason, and my hand still hurts!”

“Just praise me! I love hearing compliments!” pleaded the fat mushroom.

* * * * * * * *

“I won’t praise you! You bit me!”

“Come on! At most... at most I’ll give you something nice as compensation, okay?”

Hu Hai’s eyes lit up. This little creature seemed fearless, and he hadn’t yet figured out what it was, but here he was bantering with it. The mention of “something nice” made his mind race. He started bargaining, “Tell me who you are first, then I’ll compliment you.”

“Who am I?” the fat mushroom was astonished, “You don’t know who I am? How is that possible?”

Afraid he might be exposed as an intruder, Hu Hai quickly covered, “Who says I don’t know? I just want to hear whether you have a proper understanding and evaluation of yourself.”

The fat mushroom seemed not to suspect a thing. After a brief silence, it whispered, “I think I’m really amazing. As the most valued Heart-Cleansing Elixir of Lord Impermanence, I’ve accomplished so much for him! Yet Lord Impermanence always comes and goes in a hurry, never bothers to speak a word to me, let alone praise my hard work. What’s worse, Lady Meng Po’s vicious dog always mocks me, says I’m a useless ornament, good for nothing even if I never die…” As it spoke, it began to sob.

“Impermanence, Meng Po…” Hu Hai’s eyes shone, eager to coax the fat mushroom into revealing more, but afraid of slipping up. The mushroom’s tears truly fell like “pearls in rain”—as its sharp cries echoed, its body slowly rotated atop the shoot, shedding large, tear-shaped droplets that rolled onto the beach, sparkling.

“Idiot! Pick them up, quickly! Otherwise they’ll dry up soon!” the fat mushroom wailed, pausing only to remind Hu Hai.

Was this the treasure? Hu Hai hesitated, then recalled the mushroom had called itself the Heart-Cleansing Elixir, Lord Impermanence’s favorite. So these solid tears must be it? He hurriedly crouched down and gathered as many as he could—only about ten or so. Most sank soundlessly into the sand after a moment, leaving only the larger ones, which Hu Hai managed to collect. Strangely, once in his hand, these “tears” began to spin rapidly.